What Does Rupert Murdoch Have Against the British Royal Family?

The Duchess of Debt is not having a good week. Rupert Murdoch's U.K. gossip rag News of the Worldsecretly tapedSarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, making some shady deals. In the tape, a reporter posing as a wealthy businessman appears to hand the Duchess $40,000 as a down payment on the more than $700,000 the Duchess charged for access to her former husband, Prince Andrew, Duke of York. Presumably, having the Duke's ear would be advantageous, since Prince Andrew is the U.K.'s Special Representative for International Trade and Investment, meaning he has the dual role of encouraging foreign investment in Britain and helping British business flourish oversees. The News is quick to point out that Sarah Ferguson is "falsely" claiming she can provide access to Prince Andrew. The tabloid tends to aggressively go after the royal family. Last year the paper caught Kate Middleton's uncle on camera providing an undercover reporter with drugs. In 2005 a reporter posed as a sheikh, tricking Princess Michael of Kent into making some less than flattering remarks about her family. (Sound like unethical journalism? Media writer Howard Kurtz thinks so, too.) The paper's techniques are not only criticized but also occasionally prosecuted. Last year the paper shelled out [more than $1.5 million](" target=) in out-of-court settlements to victims of phone hacking by private investigators apparently hired by Murdoch journalists. The editors continue to be criticized for allowing phone hacking.

Meanwhile, everything is coming up roses for the Duchess's former mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth II, who paid an enjoyable visit to the Chelsea Flower Show.